Arth- The meaning of life

Arth, released in 1982, and is one of Mahesh Bhatt’s best works. The movie revolves around the life of a married couple, Inder (Kulbhushan Kharbanda) and Pooja (Shabana Azmi). Inder is a struggling filmmaker, who is having an extra-marital affair with an established actress, Kavita (Smita Patil). Oblivious Pooja on the contrary is leading the life of a housewife, and like any other ordinary woman, she has been long yearning for an independent house, and keeps prodding Inder to find ways to shift out from their rented apartment. Kavita on the other hand is suffering from schizophrenia. She is capricious and insecure, and is extremely possessive about Inder. With Kavita’s help, Inder manages to buy a house for Pooja and promises her, that in return, he would soon take a divorce from his wife! Pooja on the other hand is made to believe that Inder has bagged a big budget film, and has bought the house with the advance payment. She is ecstatic and thrilled and gets busy doing up her new home! With her dream finally coming true after 7 long years, she finally feels that she has arrived and that good times are here to stay!

However, her joy is short-lived, as she soon finds out about Inder’s illicit affair with Kavita. She pleads with Inder to forget Kavita and promises him that they would start afresh. However, Inder, knee deep in his relationship with Kavita by now, turns a deaf ear to her poignant imploring, and leaves her in the lurch. While leaving, he grants her the permission to stay in the new house. 

Pooja spends a few days in disbelief and self-denial, struggling hard to come to terms with the painful reality. Having lived as Inder’s shadow for most part of her life, she cannot imagine thriving without his support! Eventually, she pulls herself together and moves out of the house. From here on, she begins her journey as an independent woman, which is the highlight of the movie.

She finds herself a job and an accommodation and is introduced to the ‘big bad world’ for the very first time. She eventually manages to find her feet, and meets a great guy, ‘Raj’ along the way. Raj, with his optimistic self and cheerful disposition, helps Pooja slowly recuperate from her marital woes. Just when Pooja is on a new high of life, in terms of work and her newfound friendship with Raj, Inder lands on her doorstep with divorce papers. This final jab further liberates Pooja and helps her come into her own.

Kalpana eventually abandons Inder. Helpless and repentant, he goes back to Pooja and asks for forgiveness! What follows, is a beautiful and exemplary illustration of woman’s dignity, conviction and mental strength!

Pooja’s unsuccessful marriage becomes the stepping-stone to her realization of ‘self’. She takes her harrowing experience in positive stride, and finally manages to establish her own identity. She turns down a more than willing Raj’s marriage proposal, breaking all bastions of female powerlessness.

In the India of the1980’s, divorce was still a taboo and was often discouraged and looked down upon. Grappling under the social pressure of keeping their marriage and thus family honor intact, women used to endure harassment, violence, humiliation and much more. There were others, like Pooja, who had infidel partners, but still opted to stay in their marriage, as they were financially reliant on their husbands. This path-breaking film surely splinters the stigma associated with divorce, and inspires every Indian woman to value and preserve her individuality. It also expounds the significance of self-reliance for women, encouraging them to stand on their own two feet, so that they can exercise greater freedom of choice and action! Here’s hoping that this movie enkindles every Pooja, to break all women related prejudices and stereotypes, and discover the true ‘arth’ (meaning) of life, without ever feeling the need of a man’s support!

An edited version of this review got published on the link below-

http://genderbytes.wordpress.com/2013/12/09/when-divorce-means-freedom-and-not-shame-for-an-indian-woman/